Marmion: Introduction To Canto V. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KGLMNNOIPPQQRRNNSSTU VWXXYZZA2A2B2B2C2C2X XD2D2KKAAE2E2F2F2G2G 2G2H2H2I2I2E2E2QQJ2K 2I2I2NNL2L2NNM2M2M2M 2N2GL2L2O2O2I2I2L2L2 M2M2I2I2I2I2AAM2M2P2 P2L2L2D2D2NNQ2NNNPPM 2M2FFD2D2L2L2L2L2M2M 2L2L2P2P2M2M2R2R2YYP 2P2S2S2JJL2L2AAM2M2M 2M2M2M2M2M2M2S2S2T2T 2P2P2M2M2L2L2L2L2M2M 2L2L2NNL2L2M2M2U2U2D 2D2When dark December glooms the day | A |
And takes our autumn joys away | A |
When short and scant the sunbeam throws | B |
Upon the weary waste of snows | B |
A cold and profitless regard | C |
Like patron on a needy bard | C |
When silvan occupation's done | D |
And o'er the chimney rests the gun | D |
And hang in idle trophy near | E |
The game pouch fishing rod and spear | E |
When wiry terrier rough and grim | F |
And greyhound with his length of limb | F |
And pointer now employed no more | G |
Cumber our parlour's narrow floor | G |
When in his stall the impatient steed | H |
Is long condemned to rest and feed | H |
When from our snow encircled home | I |
Scarce cares the hardiest step to roam | I |
Since path is none save that to bring | J |
The needful water from the spring | J |
When wrinkled news page thrice conned o'er | K |
Beguiles the dreary hour no more | G |
And darkling politican crossed | L |
Inveighs against the lingering post | M |
And answering housewife sore complains | N |
Of carriers' snow impeded wains | N |
When such the country cheer I come | O |
Well pleased to seek our city home | I |
For converse and for books to change | P |
The Forest's melancholy range | P |
And welcome with renewed delight | Q |
The busy day and social night | Q |
Not here need my desponding rhyme | R |
Lament the ravages of time | R |
As erst by Newark's riven towers | N |
And Ettrick stripped of forest bowers | N |
True Caledonia's Queen is changed | S |
Since on her dusky summit ranged | S |
Within its steepy limits pent | T |
By bulwark line and battlement | U |
And flanking towers and laky flood | V |
Guarded and garrisoned she stood | W |
Denying entrance or resort | X |
Save at each tall embattled port | X |
Above whose arch suspended hung | Y |
Portcullis spiked with iron prong | Z |
That long is gone but not so long | Z |
Since early closed and opening late | A2 |
Jealous revolved the studded gate | A2 |
Whose task from eve to morning tide | B2 |
A wicket churlishly supplied | B2 |
Stern then and steel girt was thy brow | C2 |
Dunedin Oh how altered now | C2 |
When safe amid thy mountain court | X |
Thou sitt'st like empress at her sport | X |
And liberal unconfined and free | D2 |
Flinging thy white arms to the sea | D2 |
For thy dark cloud with umbered lower | K |
That hung o'er cliff and lake and tower | K |
Thou gleam'st against the western ray | A |
Ten thousand lines of brighter day | A |
Not she the championess of old | E2 |
In Spenser's magic tale enrolled | E2 |
She for the charmed spear renowned | F2 |
Which forced each knight to kiss the ground | F2 |
Not she more changed when placed at rest | G2 |
What time she was Malbecco's guest | G2 |
She gave to flow her maiden vest | G2 |
When from the corslet's grasp relieved | H2 |
Free to the sight her bosom heaved | H2 |
Sweet was her blue eye's modest smile | I2 |
Erst hidden by the aventayle | I2 |
And down her shoulders graceful rolled | E2 |
Her locks profuse of paly gold | E2 |
They who whilom in midnight fight | Q |
Had marvelled at her matchless might | Q |
No less her maiden charms approved | J2 |
But looking liked and liking loved | K2 |
The sight could jealous pangs beguile | I2 |
And charm Malbecco's cares a while | I2 |
And he the wandering squire of dames | N |
Forgot his Columbella's claims | N |
And passion erst unknown could gain | L2 |
The breast of blunt Sir Satyrane | L2 |
Nor durst light Paridel advance | N |
Bold as he was a looser glance | N |
She charmed at once and tamed the heart | M2 |
Incomparable Britomarte | M2 |
So thou fair city disarrayed | M2 |
Of battled wall and rampart's aid | M2 |
As stately seem'st but lovelier far | N2 |
Than in that panoply of war | G |
Nor deem that from thy fenceless throne | L2 |
Strength and security are flown | L2 |
Still as of yore Queen of the North | O2 |
Still canst thou send thy children forth | O2 |
Ne'er readier at alarm bell's call | I2 |
Thy burghers rose to man thy wall | I2 |
Than now in danger shall be thine | L2 |
Thy dauntless voluntary line | L2 |
For fosse and turret proud to stand | M2 |
Their breasts the bulwarks of the land | M2 |
Thy thousands trained to martial toil | I2 |
Full red would stain their native soil | I2 |
Ere from thy mural crown there fell | I2 |
The slightest knosp or pinnacle | I2 |
And if it come as come it may | A |
Dunedin that eventful day | A |
Renowned for hospitable deed | M2 |
That virtue much with Heaven may plead | M2 |
In patriarchal times whose care | P2 |
Descending angels deigned to share | P2 |
That claim may wrestle blessings down | L2 |
On those who fight for the good town | L2 |
Destined in every age to be | D2 |
Refuge of injured royalty | D2 |
Since first when conquering York arose | N |
To Henry meek she gave repose | N |
Till late with wonder grief and awe | Q2 |
Great Bourbon's relics sad she saw | N |
Truce to these thoughts for as they rise | N |
How gladly I avert mine eyes | N |
Bodings or true or false to change | P |
For Fiction's fair romantic range | P |
Or for tradition's dubious light | M2 |
That hovers 'twixt the day and night | M2 |
Dazzling alternately and dim | F |
Her wavering lamp I'd rather trim | F |
Knights squires and lovely dames to see | D2 |
Creation of my fantasy | D2 |
Than gaze abroad on reeky fen | L2 |
And make of mists invading men | L2 |
Who love not more the night of June | L2 |
Than dull December's gloomy noon | L2 |
The moonlight than the fog of frost | M2 |
And can we say which cheats the most | M2 |
But who shall teach my harp to gain | L2 |
A sound of the romantic strain | L2 |
Whose Anglo Norman tones whilere | P2 |
Could win the royal Henry's ear | P2 |
Famed Beauclerc called for that he loved | M2 |
The minstrel and his lay approved | M2 |
Who shall these lingering notes redeem | R2 |
Decaying on Oblivion's stream | R2 |
Such notes as from the Breton tongue | Y |
Marie translated Blondel sung | Y |
O born Time's ravage to repair | P2 |
And make the dying muse thy care | P2 |
Who when his scythe her hoary foe | S2 |
Was poising for the final blow | S2 |
The weapon from his hand could wring | J |
And break his glass and shear his wing | J |
And bid reviving in his strain | L2 |
The gentle poet live again | L2 |
Thou who canst give to lightest lay | A |
An unpedantic moral gay | A |
Nor less the dullest theme bid flit | M2 |
On wings of unexpected wit | M2 |
In letters as in life approved | M2 |
Example honoured and beloved | M2 |
Dear Ellis to the bard impart | M2 |
A lesson of thy magic art | M2 |
To win at once the head and heart | M2 |
At once to charm instruct and mend | M2 |
My guide my pattern and my friend | M2 |
Such minstrel lesson to bestow | S2 |
Be long thy pleasing task but oh | S2 |
No more by thy example teach | T2 |
What few can practise all can preach | T2 |
With even patience to endure | P2 |
Lingering disease and painful cure | P2 |
And boast affliction's pangs subdued | M2 |
By mild and manly fortitude | M2 |
Enough the lesson has been given | L2 |
Forbid the repetition Heaven | L2 |
Come listen then for thou hast known | L2 |
And loved the minstrel's varying tone | L2 |
Who like his Border sires of old | M2 |
Waked a wild measure rude and bold | M2 |
Till Windsor's oaks and Ascot plain | L2 |
With wonder heard the Northern strain | L2 |
Come listen bold in thy applause | N |
The bard shall scorn pedantic laws | N |
And as the ancient art could stain | L2 |
Achievements on the storied pane | L2 |
Irregularly traced and planned | M2 |
But yet so glowing and so grand | M2 |
So shall he strive in changeful hue | U2 |
Field feast and combat to renew | U2 |
And loves and arms and harpers' glee | D2 |
And all the pomp of chivalry | D2 |
Walter Scott (sir)
(1)
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